Robbed by a Soldier...

He is a 54 year old teacher employed by the Government of Zimbabwe, he is driving his T35 from the tobacco floors. He farms tobacco in Marondera to supplement his income, he is an industrious, hardworking Zimbabwean man.  At the back of his truck he has four passengers; his staff who had come to assist with sale of the tobacco. Each staff member is sitting in a corner of the truck, more than a meter from the next person, each with a disposable mask on. All the requirements of movement during the Lockdown have been observed.

Down the road he goes until he is stopped by four gun welding soldiers at a road block. They exchange pleasant greetings. They accuse his passengers of not observing social distancing at the back of truck. He explains that they are observing social distancing; he is in the front by himself and they are each at opposite ends of the truck. One of the soldiers jumps into the passenger’s seat of the T35.

‘Take out all the money you have’ he says

The man is confused, what is going on here?? He stares at the soldier in shock.

 ‘I said take out all the money you have before we take you to the barracks for not observing the requirements of social distancing’ the soldier says as he caresses his gun.

The man realises that the soldier is not joking, he is being robbed by a uniformed, gun welding Zimbabwe Defence Forces Soldier who is supposed to be manning a road block.

He doesn’t have much cash on him. For the first time he is glad that proceeds from Tobacco sales are now paid through the bank and not in cash.

He reaches into his pocket and takes out the four hundred bond notes he had carried as contingency travel money.

The soldier takes the money and laughs, ‘ I said money not these papers you are giving me, don’t play with me old man’

(He calls them papers and yet he takes them)

The old man takes out his wallet and gives the soldier the eight United States dollars he has, that’s all the USD he has on him.

The soldier grabs the money and the wallet. He wants to search for himself.

He is frustrated to find only cards.

‘Why do you move around with such paltry amounts of money, you poor man’.

The soldier jumps out of the truck.

‘Drive off, now’, he shouts as he slams the door

The man drives a few kilometres and parks his car, his hands are shaking. He has just been robbed by a uniformed and armed Zimbabwean soldier. He needs to tell his best friend.

He dials his wife’s number.

‘How were the floors today’ she asks when she picks up

He doesn’t answer the question, instead he tells her about the robbery.

She starts to cry…